Crystal Palace: Furious Steve Parish gives Jean-Philippe Mateta update as he slams Millwall goalkeeper | OneFootball

Palace chairman suggested Liam Roberts had endangered Mateta’s life with the high challenge

Liam Roberts’ awful challenge led to Jean-Philippe Mateta being stretchered off

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Steve Parish furiously hit out at Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts for a challenge that left Jean-Philippe Mateta in hospital.

The FA Cup match between Crystal Palace and Millwall at Selhurst Park was delayed for almost seven minutes as Mateta received treatment in the first-half, Roberts charged off his line and clattered into the striker’s face with his left boot.

Speaking at half-time, Palace chairman Parish confirmed that Mateta had been taken straight to hospital and he slammed Roberts for what he felt was a reckless act that endangered the life of the Eagles striker.

“So far what we know is he’s got a bad gash behind his ear and a head injury,” Parish told BBC Sport when asked for an update on Mateta.

“Obviously he’s at the hospital, we hope for the best. There’s a lot of emotion in football but we need to talk about that challenge. In all the time i’ve watched football, I’ve never seen a challenge like it. I looked to see how old the keeper was - he’s 30 years old.

Jean-Philippe Mateta was taken straight to hospital

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“That is the most reckless challenge on a football pitch I think I’ve ever seen. I think he needs to have a long hard look at himself that lad, because he’s endangering a fellow professional, maybe even his life with a challenge like that.

“It’s very difficult for me to talk about the rest of the game because we’re worried about JP and it’s just a terrible, terrible challenge.”

Asked about the response of the Palace players to seeing their team-mate carried off, as they took a 2-1 lead into half-time, Parish again struggled to contain his anger.

“They’re all professionals out there, they’ve got to treat each other like professionals and have a duty of care to their fellow professionals,” Parish continued. “That goalkeeper hasn’t had one. Credit to the players for carrying on, but it’s difficult for me to think about anything else at the moment with JP in hospital.

“In all the time I’ve watched football... somebody mentioned there was one in the World Cup in 1982 like it. It’s a dreadful challenge.

“Why the referee needed to go to the screen I’ve got no idea.”

Mateta has scored 12 times in the Premier League this season and is on a run of eight goals in nine appearances, but Parish insisted the Frenchman’s significance to the Palace team was not the reason for his emotion.

“He’s a human being, let’s forget about a football player,” Parish said.

“That’s not a normal challenge. If you’re kicking somebody in the head with full force, then God knows what damage has been done to him.”